


Goryoueji Investigation

by Legume_Shadow



Series: Echoes: A Peacemaker Kurogane/Rurouni Kenshin Crossover [10]
Category: Peacemaker Kurogane, Rurouni Kenshin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Author Loves Writing the Meiji Revolution, Gen, Saitou Took Over my Series!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-27
Updated: 2012-06-27
Packaged: 2017-12-28 06:34:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/988867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Legume_Shadow/pseuds/Legume_Shadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Saitou Hajime's investigation into Itou Kashitarou comes to an end, as the Shinsengumi are torn apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Goryoueji Investigation

**Author's Note:**

> First Publishing: June 2012. All copyrights apply to the appropriate parties and no profit is being made from this fanwork.

**Part 7: Goryoueji Investigation**

Year: Winter 1866

 

“Progress is what we should be headed towards,” Saitou heard Itou say to the few men gathered in this secret meeting. Of course, it was only those trusted enough to be a part of the so-called 'inner circle' that were present, for to keep the charade up, the rest would only receive their orders through various members of the inner circle in private. They were careful to ensure that no Shinsengumi outside of Itou's group knew of their gatherings. Saitou pretended, but he knew that Itou was suspicious, and thus had started to limit his contact with Hijikata since the year before. He also started to use a roundabout way to get the information back to Hijikata, and thus the kunoichi, Matsumoto, had been recruited to help in the endeavor. However, she was not present, since the way he went about gathering the information and passing it on was outside of the compound.

He listened with a rapt expression on his face, the usual that he carried whenever he was at the meetings, but inside, he was quite bored. This current speech that Itou was currently making sounded almost like his previous speech. The moron was just repeating himself again and again and everyone around him was lapping it up like obedient dogs.

“Tomorrow, there will be a reckoning,” Itou suddenly said, the tone and mannerisms of his voice suddenly changing with those words. This time, Saitou could not help but actually affect a sudden interest, as did everyone else. Was this it? Was Itou finally going to do it?

“Send this message to our brothers: tomorrow we are free of the shackles that chain us to the service of a weak Shogun who cannot even control the rabble despite his presence and we will pledge our loyalty to only our great Emperor and his strong army. We, the Goryoueji group, will leave at the hour of the horse.”

_Itou, you bastard_ , he angrily thought to himself as he plastered on a fake smile as he and the others acknowledged the orders with a bow towards Itou.

* * *

“I'm supposed to try to convince you to join us,” he whispered, leaning slightly forward. His arms were braced on either side of the wall, seemingly pinning the kunoichi in between him and the wall, but it was only for show. Both of them knew that it was only for show, for he had already warned Matsumoto that there were a few people outside of the small-out-of-ways shack that he and the kunoichi had arranged tonight's meeting at.

His initial meeting with the kunoichi earlier in the day to tell her of the most recent developments with Itou and his people had resulted in a rare second meeting that same day, hence the meeting place and time.

“So if I say no,” she whispered back, “are you supposed to 'kill' me?”

“Yes,” he stated. “They know that you're my primary informant, but I've arranged a little something to 'help' you out. You won't be dead, but you will no longer be able to continue this particular assignment.”

“Before that happens, the _kyoukuchou_ has anticipated something like this and ordered Shinohara to continue my work, and for you to continue yours. We will strike when the time is right.”

“Then let's get this farce over with,” he said, leaning back and dropped his arms from the wall. Though it was twilight, there was still enough light for him to see clearly, and he smiled to himself as he saw Matsumoto mentally prepare herself for whatever was about to be thrown her way.

He raised a hand and viciously slapped the kunoichi before saying in a louder tone that would most definitely be heard by the men outside, “Then I hope you enjoy being a whore to those pathetic Mibu wolves.”

“She didn't want to go, eh, _kumichou_?” one of the men said after a few moments, opening the door to shack and stepped inside. A few others followed the man inside and moments later, they had all surrounded the kunoichi in the shack.

“Apparently not,” he said in an almost-bored tone, stating the obvious. “Itou has given us orders. Do what you want with her, but make sure you dispose of her body _correctly_. We _do not_ want another Ikedaya incident.”

“With pleasure, sir,” one of the men leeringly said, as he turned around and left the men to their own devices and walked to a corner of the shack. He glanced out of a small slotted window in the shack, noting the dipping of the sun below the horizon as he heard pieces of fabric being torn by the men along with their jeering laughs and the occasional whimper from Matsumoto. It was not his intent on listening or watching the kunoichi get raped by a bunch of pathetic people with no honor, but it was necessary for this charade to end on a final note that would preserve his undercover work. With any luck, the 'arrangement' that he had made for the 'rescue' of Matsumoto should be here any minute now...

“Don't touch her!”

Saitou turned from the slotted window as he watched with mild interest as the former Eighth Unit Captain, Toudou Heisuke, arrived and pushed his way to the front to stand in front of Matsumoto, his back to her and facing the men. He wondered if the love-sick fool was going to make a brash threat--

“Touch her, and I'll kill you.”

He nearly rolled his eyes at the bold statement, but it seemed that a few of the men had been cowed by the threat, knowing just how good of a swordsman Toudou was. He half-hoped that no one was going to test that challenge, for he wasn't sure if he was to jump in and break up the fight or at least knock a few of them to their senses. There was nothing in his orders from Commander Kondou to prevent him from doing anything to kill a few members of the Goryoueji group, but this was just...pathetic...

“Matsumoto, please leave now,” Toudou sharply said. “You will not be given another chance.”

Wisely, Saitou saw the kunoichi pick herself off the cold ground, using the motion to lift the partially torn kimono she wore to cover her left shoulder and exposed breast. Silently, the woman left, limping slightly. It was only after Matsumoto could no longer be seen down the road did Saitou see Toudou relax and order the men to leave.

_Message received, Kondou-kyokuchou_ , he thought to himself.

“I should have your head for this, Saitou,” he heard Toudou hiss at him as he stepped out of the shack. Of course, the only way Toudou had known of this meeting was Saitou's 'accidental' leak of information to one of Toudou's favored followers, whereas he made sure that none of the men who had followed him tonight had known that Toudou was going to interfere. Most, if not all the Shinsengumi were quite aware of Toudou's infatuation with Matsumoto, and therefore, tonight's incident, though contained in knowledge to only within those of Itou's group, would stir the dynamics up a little in Itou's group.

“You are a love-sick fool,” he stated. “She is your weakness. I was doing you a favor.”

“Don't ever try to do me any more 'favors', Saitou,” the captain said, roughly brushing past him.

_Noted and understood, moron_ , he silently thought to himself as he pulled out a cigarette and match from his gi and lit it up.

* * *

_The next day..._

 

Susumu looked up as he heard a rather loud commotion outside that sounded not like the usual, especially with Tetsu and his antics, but something entirely different.

“Itou and his people are leaving,” he heard Aya quietly state.

“What?” he said, letting the last of the bandage he was wrapping around his friend's ankle drop to the ground.

“I want to go see those traitors leave,” she said, picking up the bandage and wrapping the rest over her ankle.

He mutely nodded, the shock of their military strategist leading a separate group and breaking away still leaving him reeling. He helped Aya up and draped an arm over his shoulders to help her walk faster. As the two of them shuffled towards where the crowds were gathering.

“You're all traitors to the Shogun and Emperor!” he heard one of the Shinsengumi members gathered around the departing group shout.

“Traitors like you deserve to die like dogs!” another shouted.

“Where's your honor?!”

“I hope you all burn in hell for what you're doing!”

What surprised Susumu even more as the steady stream of people filed out of the compound was the fact that not one of the remaining Shinsengumi who had gathered were attacking. He glanced around and saw that both Kondou and Hijikata were standing on the walkway connecting to the main training hall, watching with stony looks, at the departing members of Itou's group. He wondered what caused the two to even allow this to happen with no bloodshed but quickly dashed the thought from his mind. He had confidence in what the commander and vice-commander were doing.

“Heisuke!” he heard Nagakura's voice cry out amongst the shout. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Oy, Heisuke!” Harada's voice echoed the disbelief. “Don't be an idiot and get back here!”

His eyes tracked to the Eighth Unit Captain, who had a stern look on his face, unyielding to the various slander that was being thrown at both him and the group of men he was walking with. Toudou's expression faltered just slightly when he heard his friends' voice call out to him, and Susumu saw him close his eyes briefly before continuing on. Moments later, he disappeared over the threshold of the Shinsengumi's compound and walked out into the dusty street.

“Saitou- _kumichou_ too?” he heard Tatsunosuke say from beside him as he saw the stern-looking captain also leave with the rest of the people streaming out of the Shinsengumi.

_That_ was a surprise to him – he thought that Saitou would never be the type to actually turn traitor, especially with his sense of justice, but to see it now...

Eventually, the last of Itou's group finally left and the door to the compound was closed, leaving those who had not turned their backs on the Shinsengumi staring at the departure in a daze. It wasn't until Hijikata cleared his throat and ordered everyone to disperse that people began to move.

“Yamazaki, Matsumoto, Shinomori, and Shimada,” he heard Hijikata curtly say as the remaining Shinsengumi left in small groups talking to each other about what had just happened or left in a numb state. “Come with me. We have much to discuss.”

“Yes, sir,” they said in near unison.

 

_In the winter of 1866, the Goryoueji group, formed by Itou Kashitarou during his tenure in the Shinsengumi abruptly broke away from the Shinsengumi. Among those in the Goryoueji ranks were former Eighth Unit Captain Toudou Heisuke and former Third Unit Captain Saitou Hajime._

 

_The departure of the group was sudden and left the Shinsengumi reeling. From this moment on, they would never recover their former strength of numbers. It was also said that this key point in history would be first among the many coming events that would eventually culminate in the downfall of the Shinsengumi._

 

~*~*~*~


End file.
